Stop-controlled drive mechanism for fabric towel-dispensing cabinet



March 22, 1949. R. G. BIRR 2,464,782

. STOP-CONTROLLED DRIVE MECHANISM FOR FABRIC TOWEL DISPENSING CABINET Filed June 20, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March'22, 1949. R, G, W 2,464,782

STOP-CONTROLLED DRIVE MECHANISM FOR FABRIC TOWEL DISPENSING QABINET Filed June 20, 19*45 2 SheetsSheet 2 Patented Mar. 22, 1949 STPCONTROLLED DRIVE MECHANISM FUR FABRHC TOWEL-DISPENSING CABINET Rudolph G. Birr, Lombard, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Linen Supply (30., Carson City, Nev, a corporation of Nevada Application dune 20, 1945, Serial No. 600,623

9 Glaims. (Cl. 271-23) This invention relates to improvements in stop and drive mechanisms for washable fabric toweldispensing cabinets and has as its main object to provide inexpensive means by which this particular type of cabinet can be equipped with means for prolonging the life of the granular surfacing material of its measuring and takeup drive rolls.

The invention relates specifically to improvements in towel dispensing cabinets of the type known as continuous. Such cabinets are provided with three rolls, one a granular-surfaced measuring roll, one a granular-surfaced soiled towel takeup drive roll, and one a pinch roll by which the cloth is strongly pressed against the measuring roll as a result of a pull on the toweling by the user. Ordinarily the measuring roll and the takeup drive roll are of the same diameter and are driven in unison, the purpose being to take up soiled toweling at the same rate that clean toweling is drawn out or dispensed.

The measuring and soiled towel takeup drive rolls are covered with sandpaper to prevent slip ping of the material on the rolls because if any slipping takes place on either roll the loop, which normally hangs below the cabinet in a position accessible to the user, is either lengthened or shortened and in case of slippage on the measuring roll, more toweling is delivered than is intended.

The principal reason for undue wear of the granular surfacing material of the measuring roll is that a stop mechanism is used. Thus, while a strong pull by the user on the toweling is occurring, the rotation of the measuring roll is suddenly arrested by the stop mechanism and that part of the granular surfacing material which is at or near the meeting line of the pinch roll with the measuring roll is submitted to very violent frictional drag. Eventually this drag so wears the granular material that slippage occurs and more towel is delivered than is intended and the-loop'of toweling is lengthened. While the cost of sandpaper is not great, the cost of labor in applying it is considerable, and includes the additional expense of calling for the cabinet for repair and delivering the cabinet after repair.

The invention has for its main object to pro-- vide means whereby the usual chain drive for devices of this kind can, by slight modification and without the addition of any extra parts, be made to serve the additional function of prolonging the life of the granular surfacing material of the feed rolls. This is accomplished by causing the measuring roll to make a relatively large number of rotations before a given point on its granular surface, starting at the meeting line of the pinch roll with the measuring roll will again arrive at that meeting point, while at thev sametime the takeup drive roll causes substantially the same amount of toweling to be taken up as is measured out by the measuring roll.

The invention herein promotes this particular art in a substantial degree, not only for the making of new cabinets, but as a means by which, thousands of cabinets now in use can be so converted as to have their present chain drives perform the additional function herein, without any increase in the number of parts.

Features of the invention include: The new drive performing an additional function; the new position for the drive; the application of the stop to the takeup drive roll, and the mounting of the stop mechanism on a separate plate.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the description of the drawings, and in said drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with the cover open, showing the relation of the new plate-mounted time-stop mechanism to the new chain drive and bearing plate for the rolls, with the stop set as during timing;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the new chain drive in relation to the rolls, the stop as well as one of the upright plates of the inner section having been removed; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 of Fig. 1 illustrating the relations of the new chain drive and roll-mounting means to the new arrangement of the stop mechanism on the takeup. drive roll.

In the drawings Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the inner section of a dispensing cabinet of the "continuous type designed for handling fabric toweling in strip form. This type of cabinet is always provided with two granular-surfaced feed rolls, one a measuring roll and one a soiled.

towel takeup drive roll.

The numeral l indicates the back of the cabinet and this back has openings (not shown) by which the cabinet can be hung on fastening devices provided on the wall. The cover of the cabinet is generally indicated at 2 and this cover is hinged as at 3 to a bottom-forming plate 4 of the inner section. The cover is adapted to close the inner section on five sides. Rigidly secured to the back i, and extending forwardly therefrom are'two upright plates (see Fig. 3) respectively designated 6, 1. Each of these plates has a horizontal opening it] therein, through which the feed rolls driven by the drive means of this invention can be withdrawn, with the drive means intact.

Each opening it is covered by a bearing plate and these bearing plates are respectively indicated i2, 53. Each plate is arranged at the outside of the corresponding upright plate and each plate is detachably secured by suitable fastening devices indicated at I5. Each of these bearing plates has two bearings, all substantially alike and each having a liner held in an inwardly punched portion of the plate. The bearings are indicated by the numeral I8. These bearings journal a granular-surfaced measuring roll and a granular surfaced soiled towel takeup drive roll 2|. It will be noted that these rolls are of different diameters. Both rolls have trunnions 22, 23 and 25 which fit in the bearings of the plates l2, l3, and the arrangement is therefore such that either roll can be withdrawn from either of its bearings by an axial movement, as soon as one of the plates has been detached. All trunnions are secured to the rolls in substantially the same way as the trunnion 25 of the takeup drive roll 2!. The inner end of each trunnion enters a socket 26 and is held therein by a crosspin 21. The trunnions 23 and 25 project through and beyond the corresponding bearing of plate I2 and each has its end squared as at 29 and provides a shoulder 30. Against the shoulder 30 of trunnion 25 a spacer disk 3| engages. Beyond and against this spacer disk and also held on the squared portion is one stop 32 of a time-stop mechanism described herebelow. This stop 32 is held to the trunnion by means of a Washer 33 and screw 34 passing through the washer and threaded into the trunnion. I believe that the attachment of this stop to the takeup drive roll 2| is new in this art, and it is also new to arrange the chain drive at the same side with the stop and between the upright plate 6 and the ends of the rolls 20 and 2 I The main feature of this invention is the use of the sprocket chain drive (best shown in Fig. 2) to perform the additional function of prolonging the life of the measuring rolls 20, 2| and particularly the life of the measuring roll 20 by so operating the measuring roll that a given point on the roll, starting at its meeting point with a pinch roll 36 will not again stop at that meeting point except after a relatively large number of rotations of the measuring roll.

The sprocket wheel of the measuring roll is indicated at 40 and the sprocket wheel for the takeup drive roll is indicated at 4|. The wheel 40 of the measuring roll has fifteen teeth and the wheel 4| of the takeup drive roll has fourteen teeth. With this proportion of fifteen to fourteen teeth, the measuring roll will make fourteen rotations before a given point starting at the meeting point of the rolls again arrives at that meeting point. The number of rotations before this occurs may be varied, but I have found this proportion given to be a very good one to permit the use of the ordinary drive chain without modification. Thus, without any increase in the number of parts I add the new function to this old style of chain drive. The slack chain is indicated at 46. It is new in this art in which a chain drive is used, to have the stop mechanism control the takeup drive roll instead of the measuring roll.

The bearing plates l2 and I3 in addition to supporting the rolls also support a plate 41 which normally rests during operation of the cabinet on the top of the toweling (not shown) which is passing over the pinch roll 36 in the usual manner. This plate 41 swings on a rod 48 which enters openings in the plates [2 and I3 and is secured by means of suitable fastening devices as shown. The granular material of the rolls is indicated at 49 and it is the life of this material which is prolonged by the use of this invention.

The following is given as an example of how the calculations may be made for carrying out the invention herein. It will be assumed that a four inch length of toweling is to be delivered for each operation of the measuring roll as limited by a stop mechanism which controls the takeup drive roll. If there are fifteen teeth on the sprocket wheel of the measuring roll 20 and fourteen teeth on the sprocket wheel of the takeup drive roll 2! as shown in the drawing, and if the diameter of the takeup drive roll is assumed to be 1.2732 (which corresponds to a four-inch delivery length of toweling) then for each complete revolution of the takeup drive roll the measuring roll will make /15 of a revolution. Then if we divide the diameter of the takeup drive roll 1.2732, by the fraction /15 we arrive at the required diameter of the measuring roll in inches, which in this case is approximately 1.364.

Now suppose that there are fourteen teeth on the measuring roll and fifteen teeth on the takeup drive roll. Dividing fifteen by fourteen we arrive at the number 1 /14, meaning that the measuring roll will make 1 /14 revolutions for each complete revolution of the takeup drive roll. Inasmuch as the diameter of the takeup drive roll is 1.2732, we divide this number by the quantity 1 /14 and arrive at the figure 1.1883, which is the diameter in inches required for the measuring roll.

It will be seen that there is an inverse ratio involved in the formula by which the diameters of the granular-covered rolls are made to conform with the ratio of the number of teeth on the sprocket wheels. The ratio of the number of teeth is so made as to require the measuring roll to be operated a relatively large number of times before a given point on its granular surface, starting at a meeting line with the pinch roll, will again arrive at that meeting point.

For example, if the number of teeth of the sprocket Wheel on the takeup drive roll is less than the number of teeth of the sprocket wheel on the measuring roll, the diameter of the measuring roll must be greater than the diameter of the takeup drive roll. The quotient obtained by dividing the number of teeth on one sprocket wheel by the number of teeth on the other should be either a fraction or a whole number, plus a fraction.

If the number of teeth on the takeup drive roll is greater than the number on the measuring roll, the diameter of the measuring roll will be proportionately less than the diameter of the takeup drive roll. Now since the primary stop control is connected with the takeup drive roll and not with the measuring roll, it is best to first determine what the diameter of this roll should be to take up the required length of toweling and then adjust the diameter of the measuring roll conformably to the tooth ratio between the sprocket wheels of the two rolls, so that the same amount of toweling will be measured out, as is taken up.

I believe it is new to apply the stop mechanism to the takeup drive roll for obtaining the granular surface-saving function herein claimed. In the present case the chain is at the same side with the stop mechanism and lies at the inner side of the upright plate between that plate and the ends of the roll. In regard to the location of the chain, the present invention is not entirely limited thereto because although it is the first time that the chain has been arranged on the same side with the stop mechanism, yet that phase of the invention which relates to saving of the granular material of the rolls permits of the use of the chain at the opposite side of the rolls from that of the stop mechanism and either between the ends of the rolls and the inner side of the plate I or at th outer side of the plate I.

An important advantage of this invention is that by its use thousands of cabinets of this type already in existence may be converted to include the advantages herein provided.

Ordinarily the stop mechanism on prior devices is attached to or controls the front or measuring roll. When modification of an old device is desired the chain drive can be modified under the teaching herein and the old stop mechanism can be removed and a new stop mechanism applied. To facilitate this practice I have mounted the stop mechanism on a plate 50 and I attach this plate in this instance by four fastening devices l which are passed through openings 52 (dotted) of the upright plate 5. Heretofore stop mechanisms have been mounted directly on the upright plate 6 or its equivalent, and parts of this upright plate have been punched out and various parts of the stop were separately attached. It is new to mount a stop mechanism on a plate and then attach that plate as is done herein.

Any kind of suitable stop mechanism may be mounted on the plate 50, as long as one of its stop elements the equivalent of 32 is operated from the takeup drive or is mounted on the squared end of the trunnion of the rear roll 2|, as herein shown. This stop 32 engages the upper end of a slide stop 60 which is mounted on the plate 5|]. This slide 6!] is guided by struck-out portions BI, 82 of the plate 513. The upper end of the slide 60 engages an impact-receiving or thrust bracket 55. also attached to the plate 50. Pivotally attached to the slide as at 66 is a link 51 having a slot .68 traversed by a pin I39, threaded into the stop A spring 'lil is attached by one end to the lower end of the link 6'! and to a pin H on the plate 5!) as shown. The slide 60 is held in place against outward movement by means of a bracket having a portion l6 overlying and engaging the slide Ell in a manner to allow free movement of said slide. This bracket has an outstanding projection or shelf 57 and the slide 50 has a lateral projection 78. On the shelf l! is attached a vacuum cup 19 and on the projection 18 is a vacuum cup 80. These cups are shown as vacuum-attached as during timer action They are brought to this position by means of the pin 89 acting on the upper end ofthe slot 58 of the link 61. During upward drawing of the slide it the become vacuum-attached and the stop Ell is held the path of the stop 32 while the stop 32 continues to move to the position shown in the drawing, which is the stop position. The vacuum is annulled by allowing air to enter between the cups through .an opening 80 controlled by a suitable needle valve which is regulated by the thumb-piece Bl. Downward motion of the slide 60 is limited by-the shelf-like projection 82, also attached to plate 50. .As soon as the vacuum is annulled the sprin 10 acts to move the stop fifidownwardly and the upper .end of this slide then moves out of the path of the arm or stop 32 so that this arm can rotate when the user pulls on the toweling and rotates the measuring roll 20 in the usual manner.

In practice it is more often necessary to renew the granular surface of the measuring roll than it is to renew the surface of the takeup drive roll. However, by the use of the new mount plates l2 and I3, either roll can be separately removed or both removed simultaneously while the chain drive is connecting them. The number of removals necessary are substantially reduced be:- cause of my new use of a sprocket chain drive in relation to the rolls of a cabinet of this type.

Although the toweling has not been shown, it will be understood that the supply roll rests on the bottom 4 and that the toweling is brought upwardly from the forward side of the supply roll to engage the front side of the measuring roll 40, thence around the pinch roll 36, then outwardly through a slot in the cover and then downwardly below the cabinet to form a loop, thence up,- wardly into the cabinet where it is attached to the soiled towel roll 84 which rests upon the soiled towel takeup drive roll 2|, the said soiled towel roll riding in slots 85 of the upright plates 6 and 1.

One matter that should always be kept in mind in regard to towel dispensing is that the towel service is in the nature of a gift of the company or management and the cost of the structures and the cost of servicing them must be kept at the lowest possible mini-mum. Therefore, the ability to add the new function to an old device, and to convert cabinets to give them the new function herein, is important economically.

The art is substantially promoted by this invention, because the new function of saving wear on the granular surface of the rolls is obtained by slight modification of an existing drive means and without increasing the number of parts.

What I claim is:

l. A dispensing cabinet comprising, granularsurfaced measuring and soiled tow-e1 takeup drive rolls, a pinch roll operatively related to the measuring roll, a sprocket chain drive connecting the measuring and take-up drive rolls and including a sprocket wheel on the measuring roll and a sprocket Wheel on the takeup drive roll, a stop mechanism operated from the takeup drive roll, the number of teeth of the sprocket wheels being so related to one another and to the diameters of the takeup drive and the measuring rolls that the measuring roll make a relatively large number of rotations before a given point on its granular surface starting at the meeting line with the pinch roll will again arrive at that meeting line, and so that the takeup drive roll will cause the same amount of toweling to be taken up as is measured out by the measuring roll.

2. A dispensing cabinet including, :a granularsurfaced measuring roll and a soiled towel takeup drive roll, a pinch roll operatively related to the measuring roll, a sprocket chain drive con,- necting the measuring and take-up drive rolls, a stop mechanism operated from the takeup drive roll, each of the rolls having a different diameter and each of the sprocket wheels having a dilferent number of teeth, the diameters of the rolls being so related to the number of th teeth .of the sprocket wheels that the takeup drive roll is operated to cause the same amount of toweling to be taken up as is measured out by the measuring roll and further so related that the measuring roll will make a relatively large number of turns before a given point on its granular surface starting at the meeting line with the pinch roll will again arrive at that meeting line.

3. A dispensing cabinet including, a granularsurfaced measuring roll and a soiled towel takeup drive roll, a pinch roll operatively related to the measuring roll, a sprocket chain drive connecting the measuring and take-up drive, a stop mechanism operated from the takeup drive roll, each of the rolls having a different diameter and each of the sprocket wheels having a difierent number of teeth, the diameter of the measuring roll being greater than the diameter of the takeup drive roll when the number of teeth on the wheel of the takeup drive roll is less than the number of teeth of the wheel of the measuring roll, and the diameters of the rolls being so related to the number of the teeth of the sprocket wheels that the taken-p drive roll is operated to cause the same amount of toweling to be taken up as is measured out by the measuring roll, and further 50 related that the measuring roll will make a relatively large number of turns before a given point on its granular surf-ace starting at the meeting line with the pinch roll will again arrive at that meeting line.

4. A dispensing cabinet including, a granularsurfaced measuring roll and a soiled towel takeup drive roll, a pinch roll operatively related to the measuring roll, a sprocket chain drive connecting the measuring and take-up drive rolls, a stop mechanism operated from the takeup drive roll, each of the rolls having a difierent diameter and each of the sprocket wheels having a different number of teeth, the diameter of the measuring roll being less than the diameter of the takeup drive roll when the number of teeth of the wheel of the takeup drive roll is greater than the number of teeth of the wheel of the measuring roll, and the diameters of the rolls being so related to the number of the teeth of the sprocket wheels that the takeup drive roll is operated to cause the same amount of toweling to be taken up as is measured out by the measuring roll, and further so related that the measuring roll will make a relatively large number of turns before a given point on its granular surface starting at the meeting line with the pinch roll will again arrive at that meeting line.

5. A dispensing cabinet having granular-surfaced measuring and soiled towel takeup drive rolls, a pinch roll operatively related to the measuring roll, a sprocket chain drive connecting the measuring and take-up drive rolls and including sprocket wheels, a stop mechanism operated from one of the rolls, the number of teeth of the sprocket wheels being so related to one another and to the diameters of the rolls that the measuring roll will make a relatively large number of rotations before a given point on its granular surface starting at the meeting line when the pinch roll will again arrive at that meeting line, and so that the takeup drive roll will cause the same amount of toweling to be taken up as is measured out by the measuring roll.

6. A dispensing cabinet including, first and second upright sides, a measuring roll and a soiled towel take-up drive roll both having trunnions journalled in the second side, a sprocket chain in driving connection with the rolls, an opening in the first side through which the rolls with the chain can be withdrawn as a unit, a first plate on the outer face of the first side covering said opening and having openings journalling trunnions of the rolls, means detachably securing the first plate, a second plate detachably secured to the outer face of the first side, a first stop detachably secured to the trunnion of the take-up drive roll at the outer side of the first plate, a second stop on the second plate, a link detachably connected to said stops and adapted to 'move the second stop into the path of the first stop and thereafter release the second stop for free movement out of the path of the first stop, whereby when the link is disconnected either plate can be separately removed, the removal of the first plate being permitted following disconnection of the first stop from the trunnion of the take-up drive roll.

'7. A dispensing cabinet including, first and second upright sides, a measuring roll and a soiled towel take-up drive roll both having trunnions journalled in the second side, a sprocket chain in driving connection with the rolls, an opening in the first side through which the rolls with the chain can be withdrawn as a unit, a first plate on the outer face of the first side covering said opening and having openings journalling trunnions of the rolls, means detachably securing the first plate, a second plate detachably secured to the outer face of the first side, a first stop detachably secured to the trunnion of the take-up drive roll at the outer side of the first plate, a second stop on the second plate, a link detachably connected to said stops and adapted to move the second stop into the path of the first stop and thereafter release the second stop for free movement out of the path of the first stop, whereby when the link is disconnected either plate can be separately removed, the removal of the first plate being permitted following disconnection of the first stop from the trunnion of the take-up drive roll, the sprocket chain being on the same side as the first plate and therefore in a position for inspection or for removal through the opening independently of the removal of the rolls or of the second plate.

8. A dispensing cabinet including first and second upright sides, a measuring roll and a soiled towel take-up drive roll both having trunnions journalled in the second side, a sprocket chain in driving connection with the rolls, an opening in the first side through which the rolls with the chain can be withdrawn as a unit, a first Plate on the outer face of the first side covering said opening and having openings journalling trunnions of the rolls, means detachably securing the first plate, a second plate detachably secured to the outer face of the first side, a first stop detachably secured to the trunnion of the take-up drive roll at the outer side of the first plate, a second stop on the second plate, a link detachably connected to said stops and adapted to move the second stop into the path of the first stop and thereafter release the second stop for free movement out of the path of the first stop whereby when the link is disconnected either plate can be separately removed, the removal of the first plate being permitted following disconnection of the first stop from the trunnion of the take-up drive roll, and means on the second plate for preventing free movement of the second stop away from the stopping path of the first stop until the end of the time period.

9. A dispensing cabinet including, first and second upright sides, a measuring roll and a soiled towel take-up drive roll both having trunnions journalled in the second side, a sprocket chain in driving connection with the rolls, an opening in the first side through which the rolls with the chain can be withdrawn as a unit, a first plate on the outer face of the first side covering said opening and having openings jour- 9 nalling trunnions of the rolls, means detachably securing the first plate, a second plate detachably secured to the outer face of the first side, a first stop detachably secured to the trunnion of the take-up drive roll at the outer side of the first plate, a second stop on the second plate, a link detachably connected to said stops and adapted to move the second stop into the path of the first stop and thereafter release the second stop for free movement out of the path of the first stop, whereby When the link is disconnected either plate can be separately removed, the removal of the first plate being permitted following disconnection of the first stop from the trunnion of the take-up drive roll, the sprocket chain being on the same side as the first plate and therefore in a position for inspection or for removal through the opening independently of REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,320,453 Birr June 1, 1943 2,367,200 Cooper Jan. 16, 1945 2,367,202 Cooper Jan. 16, 1945 2,367,203 Cooper Jan. 16, 1945 2,391,471 Morris Dec. 25, .1945 

